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DIY PHOTOGRAPHY LED LIGHT

Photography is an art that requires patience and dedication to master. People Who are Photography field or just do it as a hobby very well know that Light plays a crucial role in the end result of your photo.

I am not a photographer but I do love making projects. For that, I require a good lighting source so everything looks perfect and real.

So I decided why not build a photography light that could fulfil all my needs.

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Step 2: Working and Choice of LED

The main aspect is which LED to buy because there are so many options out there and it may drive you crazy.

So, the point is how I choose to buy this led.

While selecting LED for your lighting needs make sure it follows these parameters.

The Power of LED Required

Now, this completely depends on your preference as you may be a 20W or 30W or even a 100W. This all depends on your needs. (For this build I have chosen a 50W LED.

The Colour of LED

Next, comes the colour. Now here also you have a lot of options to consider. You can buy a Cool White LED, Warm White LED or you may go crazy and buy an RGB LED. (For this Build I have chosen a Cool White LED because it gives a more natural colour and I like Working in this Colour Light).

Power Source

Selecting the right Power source for your LED’s is quite important. Now, this has to be chosen carefully.

You may go for a battery source, AC- DC adapter, or you may also buy an SMPS Power supply. But needless to say that all these Power sources are bulky when it comes to their portability.

As the technology is evolving, Now we have a driverless led that doesn’t need any sort of Power regulation or ac – dc conversion. It directly runs from the mains wiring.

Now while buying this LED make sure that the voltage source is compatible with your country’s mains voltage.

I have chosen a 220V one as In India We have 220V mains.

Step 3: Preparing the Base

Now this build is pretty straightforward and anyone can do it without any problem.

First cut a piece of an aluminium heat sink according to your need. I had a 1metre long piece of the heat sink that I purchased locally so I cut down a piece that fits the area in which I want to use this led.

After Cutting the Aluminum Heatsink to the desired length I used some bastard File to remove any sharp edges and corners that the piece has.

Step 4: Making Holes and Painting

Next, I used the LED itself as a template and traced out the holes and outlines on the aluminium heat sink

After the Holes were marked I used a drill machine to make four Holes on the aluminium Heatsink where the LED will sit.

Next, I used some transparent adhesive tape to cover the area where the LED will sit. This is important that you do not paint this area as it will reduce the thermal heat dissipating ability of the Heatsink.

Then I used my box cutter to cut the excess tape from the template.

Then I went outside and sanded the surface of the aluminium heat sink so it appears uniform.

Then I used black colour spray paint and gave it two coats of it and let it dry for 30mins

Then I just sprayed some splashes of yellow spray paint to give it a nice look.

Then I let it dry for overnight.

After drying it overnight I examined the piece for any mistakes that I have made.

Step 5: Fixing the LED and First Test Run

Now I used Thermal compound and applied it to the place where led will sit.

Apply a generous amount of it as it will help transfer the heat better and your LED will run Cooler and safer

Next, I used 4 M3 hex nut and bolt and fix the LED onto the aluminium piece

Make sure You Secure it very tight so that it makes a good contact with the aluminium piece.

Next, I soldered The Live and Neutral wires to the Pads marked With L and N on the LED.

TIP: – Use a good Thermal Capacity Soldering Iron as the aluminium substrate on the LED will absorb heat a lot and you may find that you have a cold solder joint.

After This, I connected the LED to the mains supply and turned own the switch. And I was amazed at how much bright it was.

Step 6: FINISH

In the end, I fixed the whole assembly on the upper portion of the desk.

Now as I said you that I will use this Led just for clicking photos so I ran it maximum from 5 to 10mins. During this time the Aluminum Heatsink gets quite warm. If you want it to run for a longer time than you can attach a fan and a bigger heatsink to it.